Art competitions are an enriching and invaluable experience for every artist. They can teach you to hone your skills and provide the helpful practice of working and seeing many other artists at work. Each year there are plenty of graphic design, illustration and photography competitions taking place all over the world. No matter if you are a well-established artist or a student trying to earn more recognition for your work, entering such competitions will definitely fortify your trust in your skills. And of course, winning one will give you an acknowledgment you crave for as an artist.

We have put together a list of five competitions for illustrators and graphic designers that are still open for entries to help you keep up with all the opportunities to gain exposure that are out there. Take a look and consider entering one or more of them:

1. Ilustrarte 2018 Competition

A tour around the world’s best contemporary illustration for children with exhibition of selected works held in Lisbon, Portugal. Approximately 1400 illustrators from 61 countries send their artwork to the competition. The goal of ILUSTRARTE is to create a space for meeting and discussing the best international illustration for children, while putting Portugal on the route of the major international events in this area.

ILUSTRARTE is open to illustrators and designers from all over the world. Each participant should register online at the ILUSTRARTE website, www.ilustrate.net , and upload the files of 3 illustrations, unpublished or published after the 1st of January 2015, not later than the 31st of August 2017. The 3 illustrations must be based on the same theme. Theme, technique and medium are at the discretion of the artist.

The prize of 5000 Euro (approx. 5,590 USD) will be awarded on the opening of the exhibition, on February 2018. The exhibition of the selected illustrations will run from February to April 2018 at Museum of Electricity in Lisbon.

2. iJungle Illustration Awards 2017

iJungle 2017 Illustration Awards is a competition to celebrate the world´s art of illustration. It is opened to illustration works from any country in the world. Entries first created or published from 2014 through 2016 are eligible. There is a limit of 5 works that each illustrator can submit for all categories, except Video game Art, that has up to 10 works.

iJungle 2017 has 7 categories: Book, Editorial, Comics, Commercial, New Talent (Student), Self-Promotion and Video Games Art. A jury of some of the world´s best illustrators and art directors will select the winners. All winning entrants will be exhibit in the iJungle 2017 Illustrational Annual! iJungle 2017 Illustration Awards will also distribute the following awards:

1 Best of the best;1 Gold medal for each category (7 gold medals);Up to 20 Merit Awards for each category (Up to 140 Merit Awards).

Deadline: October 30, 2017Entry fee: Single Image Entry ($10 US dollars for one upload per entry) orMultiple Image Entry ($35 US dollars for up to five related uploads per entry New Talent/Student ($10 US dollars and can send up to five uploads for entry)More info at https://www.ijungleawards.com

3. Taiwan International Graphic Design Award 2017

Organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C (MOEA) in collaboration with International Council of Design and Japan Graphic Designers Association, the Taiwan International Graphic Design Award 2017 is open for innovative works in two main categories:

• Poster Design• Corporate Identity Design

The competition is open to designers from all regions and countries. There will be initially a Preliminary Selection conducted via electronic platform (contestants do not need to submit physical sketch boards). For the Final Selection instead judging will be performed by reviewing the actual works.

There is no limit to the quantity of works submit. You can submit each category and also register as individual and as groups. Entries must be original creations of the contestants completed after June 30, 2015.

There will be ten different Awards, plus Judge Panel Special Award.All award winners (except winners of medals) will receive an award certificate. Their works will be exhibited and collected in a special publication.

4. The Aesthetica Art Prize Competition 2017

Hosted by Aesthetica Magazine, the Aesthetica Art Prize is a celebration of excellence in art from across the world. It offers both emerging and established artists the opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience, and further their engagement with the international art world. There are two awards for entry: the Main Art Prize and the Emerging Art Prize. The Emerging Art Prize is open to current students and artists who have graduated within the last two years. The Main Art Prize is open to all, including those eligible for the Emerging Art Prize. Artists may submit their work into any one of the four categories:

Deadline: August 31, 2017Entry fee: 24 GBP (approx. 30 USD) for one entry. You may submit up to two works in the same category per entry, unless you are submitting in the Video, Installation & Performance category, in which case you are limited to one work per entry.More info at http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/art-prize/

5. Young Guns 15

Young Guns recognizes the vanguard of creative professionals 30 years of age and under. Founded in 1996, it has grown to become one of the most coveted awards for young creatives around the globe. For many, being named a Young Guns winner is a sure sign of a skyrocketing career, as well as a source of validation for all of the stressful days and sleepless nights that have come with early successes.

Young Guns entrants must submit 6 professional and personal projects, with a minimum of three projects being professional, published work. The Awards ceremony will take place in New York City in November. Winners will be honored at this event and presented with the coveted Young Guns Cube, a trophy that is redesigned each year, making each class of Young Guns winners truly unique.